Safety feature for swivel lipstick containers



Nov. 7, 1950 o. A. SEAVER SAFETY FEATURE FOR SWIVEL LIPSTICK CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 10, 1948 INVENTOR Donald A.8eavev BY ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 7, 1950 SAFETY FEATURE FOR SWIVEL LIPSTICK CONTAINERS Donald A. Seaver, West Cheshire, Cnn., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, C0nn., a corporation of Connecticut Application anuary 10, 1948, Serial No. 1,574

6 Claims.

This invention relates to certain improvements in containers for lipsticks, eyebrow pencils and similar soft pasty cosmetics in stick form, and particularly to a type of container in which the cosmetic stick is supported in a carrier cup which is moved from an enclosed casing to expose the stick for use and then withdrawn into the casing by rotating one member of the casing relative to another member, and finally covering the easing with a full length cover cap. This type of dispenser is generally known and referred to as a swivel type of lipstick container.

One of the inherent faults of the above type of lipstick containers is that frequently in packing the container for shipment, or carrying the same around in a handbag, or idly playing with the same, the members composing the container are liable to be accidentally rotated in relation to each other with the result that the cosmetic is forced into contact with the inside of the cap and deforming the shaped end of the cosmetic stick, to the annoyance of the user, and to the prejudice of the market.

It is, therefore, the main object of this invention to provide a simple means by which the unintentional movement of the cosmetic stick in its casing is effectually prevented. This is accomplished by assembling the cover cap over the casing in such a manner that the cap will have no direct frictional engagement with the outside shell of the casing but rather has a frictional fit upon an element associated with the interior working mechanism of the device.

Specifically the above results are obtained by mounting a ring having a free rotatable fit about the outside shell adjacent the operating head of thedevice and said' ring being interconnected with the inside shell so as to be rotatably carried therewith.

The cover cap is designed so as to have a frictional holding engagement with the rotatable ring and the dimension of the ring being such as to normally hold the cover cap out of frictional engagement with the outside shell.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangement of parts as will be more fully disclosed in connection with the accompanying drawing as set forth in the annexed claims.

In. the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View of a lipstick container showing the cover cap in its normal assembled position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a lipstick container with the cover partially removed in order to show the cap engaging ring.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the operating head of the device, the view taken around the lines 33 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the cap engaging ring, per se, and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral lil refers generally to a dispensing container comprising an outside tubular casing II and an inside shell l2 rotatably mounted therewithin. Disposed between the outside casing H and inner shell [2 and adapted to be retained and carried by the outside casing H is a spiral sleeve [3 having a helical slot l4 extending from end to end thereof.

- The base or lower end of the inside shell i2 is'provided with'an enlarged integral operating head iii of a size to extend beyond the exterior diameter of the outside casing Ii. The upper end of the inside shell [2 is constructed with an outwardly formed bead l6 positioned directly above the end of the spiral sleeve 13 and serves to hold the parts in rotatable assembled'position;

The upper end of the outside casing H is rounded over as at I! to conceal the end of the spiral sleeve 13 and generally improve the finished appearance of the article.

Mounted to slide within the inside shell i2 is a carrier cup 68 in which may be held the cosmetic stick not shown. The inside shell i2 is formed with a longitudinal slot l9 extending substantially the entire length of said shell. Attached to the side wall of the carrier cup I8 is an operating pin 26 that has an enlarged head 2| engaging in slots l4 and I9, whereupon it will be evident that by rotating the inside shell 62 relative to the casing II that carries the spiral sleeve l3, the carrier cup I8 will be elevated and retracted within the container. The pin 20 projects a substantial distance within the cup 18 for the purpose of being deeply embedded into the cosmetic stick fitted therein as a means for holding the stick in place.

In order to lessen the amount of stick material that is to be forced into the carrier cup IS; the base end of said cup- I8 is inverted upwardly thereint-o to provide for a raised platform lSa a substantial distance about the normal base of said cup. The center portion of this platform lBa is provided with an upwardly drifted cylindrical sleeve 48b that is axially forced into the base end of the stick material and serves as a further anchorage means additional to the pin 2%} for rigidly holding the stick material within the carrier cup.

The container l0, when the cosmetic material is withdrawn therewithin, is adapted to be closed by a cover or closure cap 22 which is designed to freely telescope over the entire length of the outside casing H. Up to this point the construction disclosed in general is old and well known in the art of lipstick containers and forms no part of the present invention except as used in combination with the swivelling means hereinafter disclosed.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a means whereby the closure cap 22 can be assembled over the tubular casing l 1 without having any frictional contact therewith. This is accomplished by providing a cylindrical ring 23 loosely fitted about the lower end of the tubular casing I I adjacent the enlarged operating head IS. The ring 23 is initially made from a cup shaped'shell andthe base of the ring 23 is pierced out as at 24 in such a manner as to provide a relatively narrow circumferential flange 25 which flange constitutes the base of the ring. When the ring 23 is assembled the flange 25 is adapted to rest upon a shoulder 26 that serves to integrally connect the operating head IS with the inside shell l2.

In order to maintain the ring 23 in concentrically spaced relationship relative to the inside shell [2 and also assure a free rotatable fit to the outside casing II, provision is made of a plurality of equally spaced lugs 2! projecting inwardly from the edge of the base flange 25. The inner edges 21a of these lugs are preferably made to conform to the outer diameter of the inside shell i2. One of the lugs 21 is formed with an extension 28 projecting centrally from the edge 21a. The extension lug 28 is adapted to project through the longitudinal slot l9 at a point adjacent the shoulder 26. This extension lug 28, by projecting into the slot I9 of the inside shell I2 causes the ring 23 to be carried with the inside shell |2 when the latter is rotated relative to the outside casing l I for purposes of operating the container. .The lugs 21 extend underneath the lower edges of the outside shell H and attached spiral sleeve l3 and serve to support these members in spaced relation to the connecting shoulder 26..

The reason that lugs 21 are employed rather than an extended flange 25 is in order to provide sufficient space between the lugs such that the ring 23 can be tilted and cause the lugs 21 to clear the bead N5 of the'inside shell l2 for assembly purposes.

The length of the extension lug 28 is such as to project a slight distance within the inner di ameter of the inside shell [2, and, therefore, the carrier cup [8 is provided with a longitudinal recess 29 formed inwardly of its outside wall and serves to slide over the inner end of said lug 28 for clearance purposes when the carrier cup is retracted to innermost position.

As. clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the closur cap 22 has ample clearance to the outer diameter of the tubular casing H and at no time has any frictional contact therewith. The cap 22, however, when fitted over the cylindrical ring 23 is engaged therewith with suitable frictional engagement in order to hold the cap in assembled position. This is effected by striking out resilient straps 30 from the side wall of the ring 23 and preferably three or more equally spaced straps are provided in order not to distort the cylindrical appearance of the closure cap when in assembled position.

From the above construction it will be apparent that when the closure cap 22 isassembled upon the cylindrical ring 23 the said cap 22 is also maintained in a non-rotatable position relative to the operating head l5 and inside shell l2, and if, perchance, there is any abnormal force for rotating the operating head i5 it will have to be accomplished by overcoming the frictional resistance offered by the resilient lugs 30 of the ring 23 to said cap 22. However, such rotation will in no way disturb the position of the carrier cup I8 inasmuch as there will be no relative rotation between the inside and outside shells of the container.

While only one form of this invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that other changes and variations ma be made in the specific constructions shown and described without departing from the scope as defined in the annexed claims.

I claim; Y

1. In a holder for cosmetic sticks and the-like, an outer casing, a tubular shell rotatable in said casing, said shell-having an operating head at one end thereof, a cup for carrying a cosmetic stick, said shell having a longitudinal slot and said casing having a helical groove in its inner wall, said groove and slot cooperating to advance and retract said carrying cup upon relative rotation of said shell and casing, and a cover cap engaging ring surrounding that end of said casing adjacent the operating head, said ring having a narrow inturned flange at one end and integral equally spaced lugs extended inwardly from the edge of said flange, said lugs being designed to concentrically space said ring relative to said shell, and means on one lug nonrotatably interconnecting said ring to said shell.

2. A holder for cosmetic sticks or the like as defined by claim 2 wherein said later means comprises an extension on one of said lugs of a length to project into said longitudinal slot of said shell.

3. A holder for cosmetic stick or the like as defined by claim 1 wherein said latter means comprises an extension on one of said lugs of a length to project into said longitudinal slot of said shell, and said stick carrier cup having a longitudinal recess in its side wall for the purpose of clearing the extreme end of said extension lug when the carrier cup is in retracted position.

4. In a holder for cosmetic sticks and the like, an outer casing, a tubular shellrotatable in said casing, said shell having an' operating head at one end thereof, a cup for carrying a cosmetic stick, said shell having a longitudinal slot and said casing having a helical groove in its inner Wall, said groove and slot cooperating to advance and retract said carrying cup upon relative rotation of said shell and casing, a cover-cap engaging tubular ring surrounding that end of said casing adjacent the operating head, and a lug member formed inwardly from the lower end of said ring and projecting into the longitudinal slot of said shell for interconnecting said ring to said shell.

5. In a holder for cosmetic sticks and the like, an outer casing, a tubular shell rotatable in said casing, said shell having an operating head at one end thereof, a cup for carrying a cosmetic stick, said shell having a longitudinal slot and said casing having a helical groove in its inner wall, said groove and slot cooperating to advance and retract said carrying cup upon relative rotation of said shell and casing, and a cover-cap engaging tubular ring surrounding that end of said casing adjacent the operating head, said ring having a plurality of ring-positioning lugs formed inwardly from its lower edge and located between the adjacent ends of said casing and operating head, the ends of said lugs having bearing engagement with said shell to maintain said ring in spaced relationship and concentric to said casing and permitting free rotation of said ring relative to said casing, and another lug formed inwardly of the lower end of said ring and projecting into the longitudinal slot of said shell for interconnecting said ring to said shell.

6. A holder for cosmetic sticks or the like as defined by claim 5, wherein said other lug is formed as an extension of one of said ring positioning lugs.

DONALD A. SEAVER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,646,005 Baguey Oct. 18, 1927 2,127,350 Davis et al. Aug. 16, 1938 2,332,147 Holihan Oct. 19, 1943 2,337,682 Reichenbach Dec. 28, 1943 2,368,044 Seager et al Jan. 23, 1945 2,442,109 Anderson May 25, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 834,749 France Aug. 29, 1938 

